The woman beamed at him. “Such good manners.”
The Bard tilted his head, studying first Vyrl, then Moonglaze. A shiver of unease ran up Vyrl’s back as he caught the man’s mood; the Bard wondered at his visitor’s accomplished style and magnificent lyrine. At home, as a farmer’s son, Vyrl tended to forget he was the son of the Dalvador Bard and the queen of an Imperial dynasty. His background probably showed more than he realized.
Whatever the Bard thought, he didn’t say. Instead, he gave Vyrl directions to a cabin in the Blue Mountain Dales, deep within a wild forest of stained glass trees that spread their gem-bubbles over the hills. Vyrl thanked him and gave the couple a gold chain for the marriage service.
Then he and Lily rode into the hills, headed for the cabin, where they could complete the marriage that would sunder the plans of an interstellar empire.
Flames crackled in the hearth. Vyrl leaned his arm against the stone mantel and stared into the shifting play of orange and red. With only fire lighting the cabin, shadows filled the corners. Handmade furniture covered with cushions warmed the room, and a four-poster bed with a blue-and-gold quilt stood against one wall.
The door opened behind him, and he felt more than heard Lily enter, her mood bathing him like sunshine. He turned as she closed the door. She stood watching him, twisting her hands in her skirts, smiling shyly, a pretty girl with red-gold curls tumbling around her body to her waist and tendrils curling around her face. Her lavender dress molded to her torso and swirled around her knees, adorned with laces and slits in tempting places. In the flickering light, her face seemed to glow, so beautiful to him that it almost hurt to see. He didn’t know what the morning would bring, but tonight he had everything he had ever wanted.
Lily spoke softly. “Are you hungry?”
“Saints, I’m famished.” Belatedly, Vyrl realized that wasn’t the most romantic declaration. An inspiration came to him. “For you.”
Lily laughed, her melodic voice a delight. “Hah! You don’t fool me. You want dinner.”
He grinned. “I need my strength.”
Her expression turned sultry, yet with innocence; he could tell she didn’t realize her anticipation showed in her gaze or that it would arouse him. “Well, then,” she murmured. “Let us build up your strength.”
Vyrl swallowed, suddenly wondering if he wanted dinner after all. He watched Lily walk to the finely engraved table where he had left his pack. Her hips swayed with each step. Taking a deep breath, he picked up a poker from beside the hearth and stirred the flames. This high in the Blue Mountain Dales, the nights were cold. It had taken the entire day to reach this cabin; stars had been sparkling in an icy sky by the time they arrived.
“Hai, Vyrl!” Lily admonished. “What did you put in this pack? Rocks?”
He turned with a start to see her digging out the last of the trail rations. She held up his pack in one hand and the food in the other, her expression baffled.
Reddening, he strode over and hoisted away the pack. “It’s nothing.”
“It is so. Look! It sparkles.” Reaching past him, she tugged the pack farther open. “See.” She brushed her fingers over the apparatus inside, making yellow lights twinkle on its edges. Holos scrolled across its glossy black surface.
“Oh, Vyrl! It’s lovely.” She beamed at him. “Are those magic lights from your mother’s people?”
He winced, knowing that when she found out what he had done, she would scold him. But he had to tell her the truth. “The symbols are from a language of my mother’s people. They’re warning you to stop banging the jammer.”
“Jammer?” She took the pack away from him and peered inside. “Whatever have you stuffed in here?”
“It hides us,” he explained. “It can trick radar, sonar, infrared, UV, visual, even neutrino probes.”
She regarded him dubiously. “You are making up these words.”
“I’m not. Really. It means my parents will have trouble finding us.”
Lily took a moment to absorb his words. “I think you are very clever, to hide us. But are you supposed to have this? It sounds—” She hesitated. “Arcane.”
“Arcane?” He tried to laugh, but it came out scared rather than amused. “It’s military equipment you need a security clearance to use. I’m not supposed to touch it.”
Her gaze widened. “Are we in trouble?”
“Not you. But me, yes.” Although stealing equipment from Imperial Space Command wasn’t as bad as admitting to her that he danced, it came close. Add to that the damage he had done to ISC property at the starport and he was in it deep.
“Ah, Vyrl.” Instead of rebuking him, she did something even harder to deal with. She came over and laid her palms on his shoulders, looking up at him with trust. “We are together now. If they take you away, they must take me, too.” Resolve showed on her face. “Where you go, so do I.”
Vyrl sighed, putting his arms around her. “I don’t deserve you.”
“Well, that’s true.” Impudence filled her voice. “But nevertheless, you have me.”
He glared at her. “I swear, you can sorely bedevil a boy.”
Her face and voice, even her posture, softened. “But you are no longer a boy, my husband.”
His chagrin vanished, replaced by a more primal emotion. Holding her, he let his mind melt into hers. He could relax his defenses with her in a way he could do with no one else. Her mischief was a disguise; behind it, a nervous young woman faced her wedding night with uncertainty as well as anticipation. He drew her closer, forgetting the trail rations. Stroking her hair, he savored its silky texture against his calloused palms. No prince’s hands, these, but those of a farmer.
Tentative, she laid her palm on his cheek. As her eyes closed, he bent his head and let his lips touch hers. She held a curl of his hair as she kissed him, more confident in her response, or so he thought, until she began to pull his hair without realizing it. He folded his large hand around her small one, loosening her grip.
Lily made a small sound, half a sigh, half a moan. He kissed her deeply, wishing he could lift her up and carry her to the bed.
A thought nudged his mind, like Moonglaze pushing him; he could carry her off exactly the way he wished. He slowly pulled away, one hand splayed on her back. Bending, he slid his arm under her legs and hefted her into his arms.
“Oh!” Lily flushed. “Goodness, Vyrl.”
Once he would have grinned, maybe pulled her hair. No longer. He felt only tenderness tonight, and a desire that he wondered how he would hold in check, or if he should. He carried her to the bed and laid her on the downy quilt. She watched him, her lips parted, a rosy flush on her face, the firelight dimly golden around them.
Kneeling next to her, Vyrl pulled his sweater over his head. As he dropped it on the ground, Lily reached for him, her arms outstretched, her expression trusting. He lay next to her and his pulse jumped, tingling through him. It was so good finally to have her to himself. As they nestled together, he felt her heartbeat against his chest. When he pressed his lips on the creamy skin of her neck, her pulse beat there as well, strong and vibrant.
She helped him with the laces on her dress. For all that they had resisted his efforts, they unraveled for her at the slightest pull. He and Lily explored each other while they undressed, their touches sweet with the newness of discovery as they joined in the dim light from the embers of the fire. Together they moved in a rhythm more ancient than the Ruby Empire. His heart overflowed; he felt as if it were an airy hall filled with stained glass windows. His love for Lily poured like light through the windows, turning many colors, each window a symbol of another way he knew her. The stained glass was so beautiful it hurt to imagine—for he knew it could shatter under the reality of life.
But in this miraculous night, the colors glowed within him.
5
BLUE-CRYSTAL SHARDS
The pounding dragged Vyrl awake. A booming noise bombarded his head.
“Hai!” He sat
up groggily, covers falling away from his body, his eyes bleary. Morning light slanted through a window he hadn’t even noticed last night. Across the room, the door shook under the force of someone’s hammering fists.
Lily rolled against him, pulling the quilt around her shoulders. Seeing her that way, warm and cozy in a nest of covers, Vyrl wanted nothing more than to stay in bed with her.
“Valdoria!” The bellow could have shaken a stone wall. “Open this door, you scum of a mush-bog slime, or I’ll break it down.”
Lily opened her eyes, wincing. “That is, without doubt, my father.”
With a groan, Vyrl grabbed his trousers off the floor and yanked them on. He pulled on his shirt as he scrambled out of bed. With the shirt laces untied, its tails untucked, and his feet bare, he stumbled across the room. He shot a glance at Lily, to urge her to cover up, but she had already pulled on her dress.
At the door, Vyrl shoved out the bar that locked it—and he barely had time to jump back as the door crashed open. Lily’s burly father, Caul, stood framed in the entrance. Vyrl had one instant to see Lily’s mother hurry by them before Caul grabbed him, hurled him around, and slammed him against the inside wall.
“No slime-mold dishonors my daughter,” he roared, swinging his meaty fist.
Vyrl dodged in time to keep his face from being smashed, but the blow caught his shoulder and pain shot through him. Although Caul had neither Vyrl’s height nor agility, years of toiling on his farm had muscled the man’s already husky build. Vyrl raised his arm up in time to block Caul’s next blow, but then Caul used his other fist to sock him heartily in the stomach.
Vyrl grunted and doubled up with pain, wrapping his arms over his abdomen. Lily was crying out and other voices filled the air; from seemingly nowhere, people crammed the small room. His ears rang with the commotion.
Suddenly Caul was no longer pummeling him. Vyrl gasped, but it was several moments before he could straighten up. When he did, he saw his older brothers, Althor and Del-Kurj, holding back the enraged farmer. As hard as Caul struggled, he couldn’t free himself. Althor was six feet six, with a massive physique. Del-Kurj had a lankier build, lean rather than bulky, but he was still a good half-head taller than Vyrl and had plenty of strength. Caul finally gave up fighting them and glowered at Vyrl as if his stare could incinerate his new son-in-law.
Vyrl swallowed, regarding his brothers. “Thank you.”
“I wouldn’t be so grateful,” Althor said dryly. “You’re in a load of trouble.”
Del-Kurj smirked at Vyrl. “Who would have guessed it. I didn’t think you even knew what to do with a girl.”
Vyrl scowled at him. “Go blow, Del.”
Caul jerked his arms away from Althor and Del-Kurj, and this time they let him go, sensing his calmer state. To Vyrl, he growled, “I’ll deal with you later.”
Behind the men, Lily’s mother was holding her daughter. She was an older, plumper version of Lily, maternal rather than nubile, still as pretty as Lily. Seeing her, Vyrl could imagine his wife in twenty years, and it made him love her all the more. Right now tears streaked Lily’s face, making his heart ache. As much as he wanted to go to her, his brothers and Caul had him penned in the corner. From the look of Lily’s mother, he doubted she would let him near her daughter anyway. Vyrl knew where Lily had inherited her stubborn side.
Althor had unhooked a palmtop from his belt and was talking into its com. “The house is about half a klick from where we landed.”
The voice of Eldrinson, Vyrl’s father, came out of the com. “We’ll be there right away.”
Caul fixed Vyrl with a baleful stare. “If I were your father, I would thrash you from here to the Tyrole plains.”
Vyrl used his most respectful voice. “Good sir, I would never dishonor your daughter. Lily and I were married yesterday by a Bard in Rillia.”
“Don’t you give me excuses,” Caul bellowed. “I’ll make you sorry—” He stopped, blinking. “Married? You, a prince, marry the daughter of a farmer? You expect me to believe that?”
Vyrl didn’t think this was the best time to point out that Caul was hardly treating him like a prince.
“Father, it’s true.” Lily was still trying to escape her mother. “Just ask the Emerald Bard.”
A deep voice spoke from the doorway. “Apparently my Emerald Bard is conveniently off on a trip.”
Vyrl almost groaned. As if the situation wasn’t bad enough already. The last person he wanted to face right now was Lord Rillia. No, make that the second-to-last person. Facing his father was going to be even harder.
Hard or not, however, he had no choice; both his father and Lord Rillia had entered the cabin. The two men were well matched in build and coloring, though Lord Rillia had darker hair and more height. Rillia was also older, more austere, with silver streaks in his hair and an aloof dignity that had always intimidated Vyrl.
But when Vyrl saw his father’s face, he felt even worse. Dark circles rimmed Eldrinson’s eyes, and lines showed that hadn’t been there two days before. His exhaustion seeped into the cabin. Sensing his father’s mind, Vyrl realized Eldrinson had barely slept for the past two days.
“Thank the saints,” a woman said, her voice catching.
Vyrl turned with a start. His mother, Roca Skolia, stood in the doorway, her usual brightness dimmed. Like his father, she looked as if she had been awake for much too long.
Vyrl made himself speak. “I am truly sorry.”
His mother considered him, then answered gently. “For frightening us, yes, but not for running away.”
Vyrl winced. Living in a family of empaths had its drawbacks. He couldn’t deny her words; as much as he regretted causing them pain, he would run away again given the chance.
“It’s not his fault,” Lily said. “It was my idea.”
Everyone turned to her. “Yours?” Her father snorted. “I hardly think so.” He waved his hand at Vyrl. “You’ve always had far too much sense for this boy. This is his kind of fool stunt.”
“It’s true,” Lily said earnestly. “I told Vyrl I couldn’t bear the thought of his marrying the queen from the sky. I begged him to come with me.” She watched them with a wide-eyed gaze. “Really.”
Her mother sighed. “Oh, honey.”
Caul fixed Vyrl with a hard look. “As if you hadn’t caused enough trouble, now you have my daughter lying.”
Vyrl met his gaze. “I love your daughter for trying to defend me, sir, but the truth is that I’m the one who urged her to come with me. The idea was mine.”
If a stare could have skewered a person, Caul’s would have pierced Vyrl straight through. “You better be telling the truth about marrying her.”
Lord Rillia spoke. “The marriage is easily checked.” He considered Vyrl. “Did a Memory record the ceremony?”
“Yes, sir.” Vyrl realized the Bard who married them must not have been the person who had revealed they were at the cabin. Odd that the fellow had chosen now to take a trip. Remembering the man’s thoughtful consideration, Vyrl wondered if he and his wife had left deliberately, to avoid having to reveal what they would rather not say.
“Your Lordship,” Vyrl began. “If I may ask…?”
“Go ahead,” Lord Rillia said.
“How did you know we were here?”
Althor started to speak, then glanced at Rillia. The sovereign nodded, giving Althor leave to continue. In the balance of interstellar hierarchies, Vyrl’s family had far more power than Lord Rillia, but here on Lyshriol, Rillia held sway, and Vyrl’s parents treated him with the respect due that position.
Althor turned to Vyrl. “The Ascendant finally broke through the jamming fields you set up.”
Vyrl blinked. “The who?”
“The Ascendant. A battle cruiser in the ODS.” Sensing Vyrl’s confusion, Althor added, “In the Orbital Defense System.”
Roca frowned at her wayward son. “As opposed, Vyrl, to the planetary defenses—which includes the equipment you stole and the s
huttle you damaged.”
Vyrl wondered if the military officers on the Ascendant would feed him after they threw him into the brig. He did his best to look repentant. “My apology for any difficulty I caused.”
“Please,” Lily said. “Don’t let anyone hurt him.”
Roca glanced at her new daughter-in-law, her expression softening. “I am so sorry, Lily, that Vyrl involved you in this.”
“But why?” Warmth radiated from Lily’s mind. “It is the most wonderful thing that could have happened.”
Sadness came from Vyrl’s mother. “Then I am truly sorry.”
Lily turned to Vyrl, her gaze questioning and uncertain. Even more uneasy now, Vyrl looked from his mother to his father.
Eldrinson spoke quietly, but in a voice that brooked no argument. “We have the shuttle outside. We will leave now.”
“Now?” Vyrl tensed. “You mean Lily and me?”
“No.” His father’s voice was firm. “Not Lily.”
Vyrl went rigid, but before he could protest, Lord Rillia addressed Caul. “I would be pleased if you, your wife, and your daughter would be my guests for a few days. I regret that this affair took place in my city. I hope you will allow me to compensate you for your troubles.”
Caul bowed to him. “We would be muchly honored to stay with you, Your Lordship.”
“Wait!” Vyrl cried. Everything was moving too fast. “I can’t leave Lily here.”
His father crossed his arms. “You will do as we say. I want no more argument.”
Vyrl protested anyway, but it did no good. His father and brothers marched him to the shuttle, and try as he might, he couldn’t get past them. Lily strained to reach him, but both of her parents were holding her back now. With tears streaming down her face, she called to him. Vyrl went wild then, pounding at Althor with his fists. It was like hitting an immovable barrier. Neither his brothers nor father fought him, they just held him back. He felt everyone’s dismay; no one liked tearing him and Lily apart. But it didn’t stop them from loading him into the shuttle.
As the craft lifted off, Vyrl pressed his palms against the view screen. It showed Lily on the ground below, her face turned up as she watched the ship rise into the sky.